The 5 best clipboard managers for Mac (2026)
macOS 26 Tahoe finally added a clipboard history to Spotlight. Here’s when that’s enough, and the five clipboard managers worth installing when it isn’t.
The best clipboard managers for Mac in 2026 are Paste (best for syncing history across Mac, iPhone and iPad), Maccy (best free and open-source option), Raycast (best if you already use a launcher, free for personal use), Alfred (best for clipboard history plus text-expansion snippets) and Clipnest (best one-time purchase with rich previews for code, colors and links, stored only on your Mac). If you’re on macOS 26 Tahoe and only need to grab something you copied earlier today, Spotlight’s built-in Clipboard view is enough.
Disclosure: We make Clipnest, one of the apps on this list. We’ve tried to place it where it genuinely fits and to describe every app fairly, using each developer’s own site. Prices and features checked 28 October 2026.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Price model | Runs locally? | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paste | History synced across Mac, iPhone and iPad | Subscription or lifetime purchase | On your devices plus your private iCloud | macOS 14+ |
| Maccy | Free, fast, keyboard-first history | Free and open source | Yes | macOS 14+ |
| Raycast | People who already use a launcher | Free for personal use; Pro subscription | Yes (history stored encrypted on your Mac) | macOS 13+ |
| Alfred | Clipboard history plus snippets | Free app; paid Powerpack license | Yes | macOS 10.14+ |
| Clipnest | Rich previews, Boards, one-time price | One-time purchase | Yes | macOS 14+ |
Prices and features checked 28 October 2026 on each developer’s website. Check the official site before you buy.
1. Paste: best for syncing across Mac, iPhone and iPad
Paste is probably the best-known paid clipboard manager on the Mac, with a visual strip of cards for everything you copy. It’s sold on its own site, on the Mac App Store and through Setapp, and one plan covers Mac, iPhone and iPad.
Standout features
- Unlimited history synced through iCloud across Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- Search across everything, including text inside images and screenshots, with filters by app, date, device or type.
- Pinboards for saved snippets, shareable with other people.
- Paste Stack for pasting a queue of items in order, and plain-text pasting.
- Rules that skip passwords and sensitive apps, and built-in MCP support for AI tools on the Mac.
Limits
- Ongoing cost unless you buy the lifetime plan.
- Syncing means your history is stored in iCloud as well as on your Mac.
Who it’s for: people who move text and images between Apple devices all day and want the most polished, full-featured option.
2. Maccy: best free and open-source clipboard manager
Maccy is a small menu bar app that keeps your copy history and gets out of the way. Its developer says it “is and will always be free”, and version 2.8.0 shipped in October 2026, so it’s well maintained. You can install it with brew install maccy.
Standout features
- Press ⇧⌘C, type to search, press Return to paste.
- Pin items to the top with ⌥P.
- Ignore all copies, just the next copy, or specific clipboard types; some confidential types are ignored by default.
- Clears items when your password manager removes them from the clipboard.
Limits
- Deliberately simple: a searchable list rather than visual previews or boards.
- No sync between Macs or to iPhone.
Who it’s for: anyone who wants a dependable clipboard history without paying, and prefers a plain list to a visual browser.
3. Raycast: best if you already use a launcher
Raycast is a Spotlight replacement with a big extension store, and Clipboard History is one of its built-in features. If you already open Raycast dozens of times a day, it’s the natural place for your clipboard too.
Standout features
- Text, images, colors and links, with filtering by type.
- Pin frequent items so they’re never removed.
- Ignores password managers and transient data by default.
- Edit copied text and paste as plain or rich text; assign a hotkey or alias.
Limits
- It’s part of a much larger app; if you don’t want a launcher, it’s a lot to install for a clipboard.
- The free plan keeps 3 months of history; unlimited history needs Pro.
Who it’s for: keyboard-driven users who already live in Raycast or want a free launcher with a clipboard built in.
4. Alfred: best for clipboard history plus snippets
Alfred is the veteran Mac launcher, now at version 5.8.1 with Alfred 6 announced. Its Clipboard History is part of the paid Powerpack and is switched off until you turn it on in Alfred’s preferences under Features › Clipboard.
Standout features
- Keep text, images and file links for 24 hours, 7 days, 1 month or 3 months.
- Save any text clip as a snippet with ⌘S, then expand it anywhere with a keyword.
- Ignores Keychain Access, 1Password and concealed data by default; add more apps to the ignore list.
- Custom hotkey and keyword for the clipboard viewer.
Limits
- Clipboard History isn’t in the free version.
- History is capped at 3 months.
Who it’s for: people who type the same replies, addresses or code fragments often and want history and text expansion in one tool.
5. Clipnest: best one-time purchase with rich previews
Clipnest keeps everything you copy and brings it back with ⇧⌘V in any app. What sets it apart is that it recognizes what you copied and previews it properly, which matters most if you copy code, colors and links all day.
Standout features
- Code is detected automatically and shown in a monospaced editor with line numbers and light syntax tinting.
- Copy a
#hex,rgb(),hsl()oroklch()color and get a big swatch plus every other format, one click to copy. - Links show their domain and path, screenshots show as thumbnails, and copied files keep their Finder icons.
- Pins and Boards (say, “Snippets” or “Brand colors”); pinned and boarded clips are never trimmed. A Library window gives you smart collections and a large preview.
- Keyboard first: Return pastes, ⇧Return pastes as plain text, ⌘1–9 picks one of the first nine, Tab jumps between filters.
- Skips anything copied while 1Password, Bitwarden, Keychain Access or Passwords is in front, plus copies apps mark as concealed or transient. Keeps 500 clips by default (100 to 5,000), and can forget clips after a set time.
What it doesn’t do
- No sync: history stays on one Mac, and there’s no iPhone or iPad app.
- No text expansion; Boards hold snippets, but you paste them from the nest rather than typing a keyword.
- It doesn’t search text inside images.
- Auto-paste needs Accessibility permission; without it, Clipnest copies your pick and you press ⌘V yourself.
Who it’s for: developers and designers on a single Mac who want a visual, private clipboard history and would rather pay once.
The built-in option: Spotlight’s clipboard history (macOS 26 Tahoe)
On macOS 14 Sonoma and 15 Sequoia, the Mac keeps only the last thing you copied. macOS 26 Tahoe changed that by adding a Clipboard view to Spotlight:
- Press ⌘Space to open Spotlight, then press ⌘4 or click the Clipboard button to the right of the search field.
- The first time, macOS asks whether to allow Clipboard results; click Allow (or Enable).
- Type to search, then click the copy button next to an item, or select it and press ⌘C, and paste with ⌘V.
- To wipe it, click the More button next to the search field and choose Clear History.
- To turn it on or off, go to System Settings › Spotlight and use the Clipboard Search switch. Apple warns that sensitive information may appear in these results.
It’s genuinely useful for “what did I copy an hour ago?”. It’s a short-term history inside Spotlight, though: there are no pins, boards, code or color previews, or paste-as-plain-text, and Apple’s latest Spotlight guide lists a history window of 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days.
In Terminal, pbcopy and pbpaste read and write the current clipboard:
# Copy a file's contents to the clipboard
pbcopy < notes.txt
# Copy the current folder path
pwd | pbcopy
# Save what's on the clipboard to a file
pbpaste > clip.txt
# Count the words on the clipboard
pbpaste | wc -wHow we picked
- Privacy: every pick can skip password managers or concealed data, and keeps your history on your own devices.
- Speed: each one opens with a single shortcut and searches as you type.
- Maintained: each has a 2026 release or an active current version on its official site.
- A distinct reason to choose it: sync, price, a launcher, snippets or previews.
- Order: the most widely used general options first, then specialists. We left out CopyClip 2 because Maccy covers the same simple-list job for free.
We make Clipnest. If you need iPhone sync or text expansion, Paste or Alfred is the better fit.
FAQ
Does macOS have a clipboard history?
Yes, starting with macOS 26 Tahoe. Open Spotlight with Command-Space and press Command-4 to see items you copied recently. On macOS 15 Sequoia and earlier, the Mac keeps only the last thing you copied, so you need a clipboard manager for history.
What is the best free clipboard manager for Mac?
Maccy is the best free option: it’s open source, keyboard-driven and stores everything on your Mac. Raycast is also free for personal use and includes 3 months of clipboard history.
What is the best clipboard manager for Mac?
Paste is the most complete if you want sync to iPhone and iPad. Maccy is best if you want free. Clipnest is best if you want rich previews for code, colors and links with a one-time price and nothing leaving your Mac.
Are clipboard managers safe for passwords?
Every app on this list can skip password managers or data marked as concealed. Check each app’s ignore list, and use a pause or ignore option before copying anything sensitive from an app that isn’t covered.
How do I see my clipboard history on a Mac?
On macOS 26 Tahoe, open Spotlight and press Command-4 to switch to the Clipboard view. On older versions, install a clipboard manager such as Maccy, Paste, Raycast, Alfred with the Powerpack, or Clipnest.
Is there a clipboard manager for Mac without a subscription?
Yes. Maccy is free, Alfred’s Powerpack is a paid license rather than a monthly plan, Paste offers a lifetime plan, and Clipnest is a one-time purchase.
Key takeaways
- macOS 26 Tahoe’s Spotlight Clipboard view (⌘Space, then ⌘4) covers short-term “what did I copy?” needs.
- Paste is the pick for syncing across Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- Maccy is the best free option; Raycast is free too if you want a launcher.
- Alfred pairs clipboard history with text-expansion snippets through its Powerpack.
- Clipnest is a one-time purchase with code, color and link previews and history that never leaves your Mac.